Toughness in the Trenches: The Joe Moore Award

The Joe Moore Foundation for Teamwork has announced the launch of a new college football award, the Joe Moore Award, recognizing the nation's Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit. The award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, and is the only major college football award to honor a unit. Toughness in the Trenches: The Joe Moore Award will annually recognize the offensive line unit that best displays toughness, effort, teamwork, physicality, tone setting and finishing. The first annual award will be presented following the conclusion of the regular season. The voting committee is comprised solely of people who played or coached the position, including all of the current offensive line coaches at the Division I/FBS level as well as former players, coaches, colleagues of Coach Moore and select media.

The award is designed to preserve the legacy of Joe Moore, who coached most notably at the University of Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Moore died of lung cancer in 2003. He was responsible for developing the skills of several All-Americans throughout his storied career, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert, Mark Stepnowski, Aaron Taylor and Andy Heck. Moore coached 52 players who went on to play in the NFL, several of whom are in the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame.